EXPECTORATE Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

expectorate

verb

Definition of expectorate

as in to spit

Related Words

Relevance

as in to breathe (out)

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of expectorate Had the Eagles’ chances of beating the spread, and my chances at winning $75, just been expectorated away? — Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026 For expectorating adults looking down, a guard may block big droplets but work less well for shorter persons, like children. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024 Places where people might need to talk loudly, sing, or otherwise expectorate without a mask are seen as riskier than those where everyone can easily wear a mask at all times. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2020 Of course, there’s never been any such game where players young and old didn’t expectorate freely. — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 8 May 2020 When Andrei blasts Matvey with a shotgun, blowing apart one of his sofa cushions, which in turn expectorates a bunch of American dollars, those deeper motives becomes obvious. — Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020 Place used clothing in hampers; blow your nose in a tissue; clear your throat and expectorate to remove mucus, which may contain particles inhaled in a lab; place glasses in the decontaminating solution for three minutes; take a full-body shower. — Amy Barth, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2012

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectorate

Verb

After between 30 to 45 seconds with Packard in his mouth, the whale had risen to the surface and spat him out, sending him flying through the air in a massive spray that was witnessed by his crewmate and another nearby mariner.

— David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Ziwig’s new Endotest makes diagnosis as easy as spitting into a tube.

— Hannah Singleton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of spit

Verb

Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, species like bass have the ability to expel soft plastics that are swallowed, while salmonids do not.

— Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

Jeff Dean / Getty Images When Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow fumbled late in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh exhaled with a 30-27 win over a division rival.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
No one exhaled until the cargo was unloaded, unswaddled, and confirmed to be in one piece.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhale

Browse Nearby Words

expecting

expectorate

expectorated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Expectorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectorate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of expectorate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes